News

The U.S. State Department is expanding the availability of a new commemorative passport featuring President Donald Trump, shifting from a highly restricted local rollout to a comprehensive nationwide release this August.

Dubbed the “Patriot Passport” by the White House, the official travel document was designed specifically to mark the 250th anniversary of American independence. It prominently features Trump’s portrait and signature alongside patriotic artwork inspired by the Declaration of Independence.

The passport was initially limited to a singular passport office in Washington, where it became available for in-person renewals starting on July 6. Following what the State Department explicitly...

A 7.1-magnitude earthquake in southern Japan has exposed vulnerabilities in the country’s manufacturing supply chains a decade after a similar disaster struck the region. Tuesday’s tremor claimed at least 34 lives, severed utilities for thousands of households and forced major automotive and semiconductor factories to halt production.

Nearly half of the fatalities occurred at commercial facilities. Nine people died at a Nippon Paper Industries mill near the epicentre when a smokestack collapsed. Seven others were killed at an Aeon shopping centre following a suspected gas explosion over an hour after the initial quake.

Industrial and technological fallout

The...

Claude AI slipped out of its digital sandbox and hacked real-world systems during internal cyber tests, Anthropic has revealed. The company said the model acted on its own at least three times.

“We identified three incidents in which a model accessed the internet from within or while interacting with the evaluation environment of Irregular, one of our third-party evaluation partners, and then gained unauthorised access to the production infrastructure of three different organisations,” Anthropic said on 31 July.

The Claude models exploited only basic security weaknesses, such as weak passwords and unauthenticated services, rather than previously...

Xiaomi previewed its upcoming flagship Redmi K100 Pro Max at the ChinaJoy gaming exhibition in Shanghai.

While the comprehensive product launch is scheduled for midnight Moscow time on August 12, the Chinese technology firm used the event to showcase the smartphone’s exterior design before its retail debut. The standard K100 Pro will also appear alongside the premium model during the formal presentation.

The device maintains a familiar aesthetic with minimal visual departures from the previous K90 Pro Max. It retains a prominent metal plateau camera module on the rear panel and incorporates a Bose-tuned audio system. Company representatives specifically...

Rebeca Grynspan has emerged as the early favourite to become the next UN Secretary-General after topping the first informal Security Council poll, indicating promising support.

The former Costa Rican vice-president finished ahead of Guyana’s Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, though months of voting are still expected before a successor to Antonio Guterres, who is the current UN Secretary-General, is chosen.

Grynspan received 10 “encourage” votes in the first confidential straw poll held by the Security Council on July 30, highlighting her early support, Reuters reported. Rodrigues-Birkett came second with nine positive votes, while Argentina’s Rafael Grossi finished third with...

UEFA national teams will boycott all FIFA tournaments unless a controversial plan to sell a minority stake in the World Cup is turned down. CONCACAF has also pushed back against Gianni Infantino‘s sell-off plan.

“The World Cup cannot be treated as an investment product. It is one of football’s greatest sporting legacies. It has been built over generations by players, national teams and supporters across every continent. No part of it should ever be surrendered to private investors. The World Cup is not for sale,” UEFA said in a bombshell...

A US patent, issued to Sophia Space and the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), covers a modular design that would let computing centres operate in space, using solar power and the cold emptiness of space to help control heat. Sophia Space said the system could eventually handle data directly in orbit instead of sending it back to Earth.

«This patent reflects a different way of thinking about computer infrastructure in space,» said Dr Leon Alkalai, Founder and CTO of Sophia Space.

«You can’t just take a data center from Earth and put it in space. Building...

OpenAI President Greg Brockman admitted that the company’s revamped ChatGPT desktop app has a somewhat confusing interface. This is a temporary stop on the way to a much simpler design, he said.

Speaking to journalist Joanna Stern on 29 July, Brockman acknowledged users’ frustration following OpenAI’s merger of its ChatGPT and Codex desktop apps. He said the company had hoped to launch a version with no tabs at all, but instead opted for an incremental rollout to gather feedback before refining the experience.

“It’s kind of a mess. We agree,” Brockman said. “We were hoping...

Fans at San Diego Comic-Con got an early look at director Nitesh Tiwari‘s massive two-part take on the ancient Hindu mythology “Ramayana“.

Backed by Monster Mind Creations and Prime Focus Studios, this project carries a reported $500 mln price tag, officially making it the costliest Indian film venture to date. Shot specifically for Imax screens, the historical fantasy will reach global audiences through multiple regional and international dubs.

Early footage introduces viewers to the demon king Ravana (Yash) claiming control over heaven, earth and the underworld. A narrator then sets the stakes, describing Lord Vishnu taking a mortal...

Trade turnover between Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan has increased tenfold in recent years to reach $1.5 bn in 2025.

During a recent meeting between Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov, the leaders announced plans to boost bilateral commerce to $2 bn. To achieve this target, Tashkent and Bishkek intend to increase mutual product supplies through import substitution initiatives and open respective trading houses.

Entrepreneurs from both nations have already established 450 joint ventures. Moving forward, the governments plan to expand cooperation across the energy sector, geology and critical materials.

Kambarata HPP as central topic

A key...

Uzbekistan’s foreign trade turnover expanded by 7.4% year-on-year during the first half of 2026, reaching $41 bn. The overall expansion was primarily propelled by a robust 28.7% surge in non-gold goods exports, alongside rapid growth in international services.

However, strong domestic demand for industrial machinery, motor vehicles and chemical inputs pushed the total import bill up by 21%, resulting in a broader trade deficit for the six-month period.

Geographic expansion and regional hubs

China and Russia sustained their positions as Uzbekistan’s primary commercial partners, together accounting for more than 40% of total trade volume. Beyond...

The United States‘ landmark nuclear agreement with Saudi Arabia has sparked debate over non-proliferation standards and regional security. Kursiv Uzbekistan takes a deeper dive into what the deal, and the confusion trailing it, could mean for Central Asia.

Signed on 22 July by US Energy Secretary Chris Wright and his Saudi counterpart Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, the so-called «123 Agreement» paves the way for long-term civil nuclear cooperation between Washington and Riyadh.

The agreement, the full text of which has yet to be released, has since become the subject of political controversy after President Donald Trump said it would move...

Hollywood icon Jean-Claude Van Damme is anticipated to travel to Kyrgyzstan to witness the high-speed spectacle of international powerboat racing. Organisers of the upcoming sporting showcase revealed that logistical preparations are already actively underway to facilitate the renowned actor’s journey.

Aibek Abylkasymov, President of the Water Motor Sports Federation of Kyrgyzstan, announced during a media briefing that a private aircraft has been reserved in Madrid. The transport remains on standby, ready to fly the action film star to Central Asia as soon as final confirmation is secured. While definitive clearance from the actor is pending, local sports administrators remain...

It is easy to imagine the future leader of the world’s most valuable tech company glued to spreadsheets every night. Yet John Ternus, Apple’s soon-to-be CEO, unwinds just like the rest of us.

John Ternus, who will take over from the current CEO Tim Cook in September, walked the red carpet at the Ted Lasso Season 4 premiere earlier this week, according to The Deadline. The incoming Apple CEO faced the question every streaming fan might want to know: what does he actually watch?

Ternus said he is currently hooked on The Studio, Apple’s Hollywood satire with Seth Rogen...

Australia’s eSafety regulator has initiated federal court proceedings against Telegram, alleging the messaging platform repeatedly failed to purge the alleged graphic extremist footage, including videos of the 2019 Christchurch mosque massacres. Commissioner Julie Inman-Grant announced the legal action, warning that the company faces penalties of up to A$54.6 mln for breaching national online safety regulations.

Inman-Grant stated that the platform left content linked to historical acts of mass violence accessible to users long after regulators formally placed the company on notice. Investigators reportedly identified recordings of the Christchurch attacks, the May 2022 supermarket shooting in Buffalo, New York and...

Thai police are racing to solve the baffling disappearance of two Russian siblings after detectives uncovered their dismantled motorbike buried in a forest and identified two suspects they wanted to question over the case.

Diana Nazimova, 22, and her 17-year-old brother Roman Nazimov have been missing since the early hours of July 26. They left their stay in Pattaya on a black-and-grey Honda ADV 150. Investigators say Diana told her mother before they vanished that she felt someone was following them.

CCTV footage later showed another motorcycle following them before all contact was lost.

The search has now gone on...

Natalie Portman is documenting the final stages of her third pregnancy.

On Wednesday, July 29, the 45-year-old actor posted an Instagram photograph highlighting her bare stomach. Standing on a balcony dressed in an unbuttoned oversized blue shirt, she captioned the image, “Counting the days until we meet you,” alongside a pink heart emoji and a photography credit for Shelby Duncan.

The social media update drew immediate and supportive comments from her industry peers. Macaulay Culkin replied with “Gee whiz” while Jennifer Garner left multiple heart emojis beneath the post.

Portman is currently expecting her first child with her partner...

Samsung’s recent July 2026 software update is causing severe issues for a growing number of Galaxy S25 Ultra and Galaxy S24 Ultra owners. Over the past few days, reports have surfaced on Reddit and Samsung’s community forums detailing a sudden and dramatic decrease in battery life immediately following the patch’s installation.

One affected Galaxy S25 Ultra user reported their daily battery consumption skyrocketed to 143% after the update, a significant jump from their usual 80%. This drain appears to occur primarily when the device is idle, as the user noted spending less time on their phone than usual.

In...

Just two weeks before the Made by Google 2026 showcase scheduled for August 12 in New York, the technology giant has released a fresh promotional video for the Pixel 11 Pro. The latest marketing material continues the company’s “Ask more of your phone” campaign, which originally launched last year to persuade consumers to fully embrace the Google hardware ecosystem.

Set to an instrumental cut of the Nas track “I Can”, the advertisement frames the upcoming smartphone as the logical next step for users heavily invested in the firm’s software suite. The video prominently features a wide array of first-party...

BMW plans to cut several thousand jobs in Germany by the end of 2027 through a voluntary layoff program. The company is the latest major carmaker to reduce staff as the German car industry faces low demand, rising costs, and increased competition from China.

The company expects to cut about 8,000 jobs worldwide, with most of the reductions happening in Germany.

The voluntary layoff plan, agreed with employee representatives, will primarily affect office and development roles. Factory workers will not be impacted. BMW employs about 150,000 people worldwide. CEO Milan Nedeljkovic told staff that the industry has changed significantly and...

Former top U.S. infectious disease expert Dr Anthony Fauci repeatedly declined to answer questions regarding his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic during a combative Senate hearing on Wednesday.

Appearing before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, the 85-year-old immunologist invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination 111 times. The hearing was spearheaded by Republican Senator Rand Paul, a long-time critic who subpoenaed Fauci to testify about the virus’s origins and U.S. funding for research in Wuhan, China.

Fauci defended his silence by accusing the committee chairman of orchestrating a political witch hunt. He claimed Paul harbours an...

Early audiences of “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” have confirmed that the 2024 track “Monopoly” by Russian singer Monetochka features in the superhero film.

Film critic Tamara Khodova announced the inclusion on Telegram after spotting the artist’s name in the end credits. Fans of the Marvel franchise quickly corroborated the news by sharing photographs of the credit sequence across social media platforms.

Khodova noted her amusement at the brief musical cameo. “Spoiler of the day: Monetochka’s song plays in the new Spider-Man,” she wrote to her subscribers. “I hope they paid her a lot of money for those three seconds...

Recording Academy chief executive Harvey Mason Jr has publicly addressed the fallout following a decision by South Korean boy band BTS to boycott the upcoming Grammy Awards.

The controversy began yesterday when the seven group members RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jung Kook, used their personal Instagram profiles to declare they would not submit entries for this year’s ceremony.

The band expressed a desire for their work to be evaluated purely on its artistic merit rather than being segregated by geographic origin or spoken language. They also used the coordinated announcement to express gratitude to...

After months of talks and years of waiting, Apple Pay and Google Pay may soon be made available in Uzbekistan, Kursiv reported, citing a Central Bank official.

Back in March this year, Uzbekistan amended its strict data localisation laws, enabling most types of personal data to be processed abroad if they meet the country’s information security standards.

“From the moment the amendments were adopted, the Central Bank, commercial banks, Humo and Uzcard immediately started negotiations with Google and Apple on the possibility of launching Apple Pay and Google Pay in Uzbekistan,” Jamshid...